Time slipped by quietly. Outside the window, daylight faded into darkness, then darkness gave way to light again. Xiao Yan remained seated cross-legged on his bed, having gone without sleep all night. Yet his eyes showed no trace of fatigue; instead, they shone with a vitality that had long been absent.
Through his tireless efforts, the Dou Qi within his Qi Vortex grew slowly but steadily, like a trickling stream nourishing a parched riverbed. The feeling of regaining what he had lost intoxicated him, until he almost forgot everything outside.
Inside the ring, Yao Lao's illusory soul form floated quietly as well. He did not look particularly well, and his soul power had dimmed further. On the one hand, after years of slumber, the Dou Qi he had absorbed since awakening was nowhere near enough to sustain prolonged activity. On the other, the two vicious blows he had taken yesterday from Xiao Yi's Wooden Sword-which seemed like a child's toy but actually contained some bizarre power-had also shaken his soul origin, leaving him in need of time to recover.
At the thought of yesterday's humiliation, the corner of Yao Lao's mouth twitched. That boy called Xiao Yi... what a freak! A wooden sword? Paper covered in strange symbols? Exorcism? It all sounded utterly absurd, yet when that thing struck my soul form, it actually worked! That was a very peculiar power. It wasn't Dou Qi, but it carried a suppressing, purifying quality aimed specifically at souls, making me instinctively uncomfortable, even a little... wary?
What a damned ghost story... Yao Lao muttered inwardly, before recalling something that gave him an even worse headache-his treacherous disciple Han Feng, and the shadowy Hall of Souls. He knew all too well how strange and powerful the Hall of Souls was, especially its soul attacks, which were all but impossible to guard against, and its methods of seizing souls. They were also capturing the souls of powerful alchemists. If he recovered his strength at its peak, he could still put up some resistance, but now...
His attention returned to Xiao Yi. Though the boy was not before him, the image of him leaping about with his Wooden Sword held high remained exceptionally clear. If... if that boy's "exorcism techniques" really could suppress soul forms, wouldn't he be the Hall of Souls' natural nemesis? A gleam flashed through Yao Lao's clouded eyes. Xiao Yi was still young, and although his behavior was erratic and eccentric, his potential seemed... immeasurable. If I could take him as a disciple too...
As soon as the thought arose, Yao Lao hesitated. He had taken Xiao Yan as his disciple because of his talent, temperament, and physique, which suited his cultivation method. But Xiao Yi? He followed an entirely different path. Yao Lao knew nothing about those bizarre "spells" of his and had no way to guide him. Besides, the boy had an odd personality and hardly looked like someone who would behave himself. He was also some sort of "Transmigrator"...
"Forget it. I should deal with what's in front of me first." Yao Lao set the thought aside for now. His immediate priority was to recover his strength as quickly as possible and guide Xiao Yan in healing the hidden injuries inside his body. Xiao Yan's body was too weak to withstand the cultivation speed brought about by that "Transmigrator's" powerful soul, and he had already injured himself through cultivation. He was also too young; if medicine were used, he likely would not be able to withstand its potency. He would have to remain at the third stage of Dou Qi and recuperate properly for a few years, allowing himself to recover naturally...
Several days later, when the first rays of morning sunlight once again filled the courtyard, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes. After days of diligent cultivation, along with Yao Lao's occasional guidance through his soul perception, the wisp of Dou Qi within him had grown considerably. Although it was still worlds apart from his former ninth stage Dou Qi, the tangible feeling of his strength returning was enough to send him into raptures.
Xiao Yan immediately rose, not bothering to wash or comb his hair, and practically rushed out the door straight toward his father Xiao Zhan's study. When Xiao Zhan saw the rekindled confidence in his son's eyes and personally sensed the faint yet genuine fluctuations of Dou Qi within him, the seasoned clan leader's eyes instantly reddened. He clapped Xiao Yan firmly on the shoulder, his voice trembling with irrepressible excitement. "Good! Good! Good!" "Yan'er, my dear son! You've finally... finally come back!"
This wonderful news was too much for Xiao Zhan to savor alone. He immediately ordered a grand banquet to be held in the Xiao Clan Courtyard, announcing to the entire clan that his son, Xiao Yan-once Wutan City's most dazzling genius-had regained the ability to cultivate! He wanted everyone who had once mocked and belittled Yan'er to see that the Xiao Clan's young qilin had not truly fallen!
The banquet was soon ready, and the entire Xiao Clan was immersed in a joyous atmosphere. The hall blazed with light and buzzed with voices. The Xiao Clan's elders and stewards, along with representatives of families connected to them by kinship or close everyday dealings, arrived to offer their congratulations. His face glowing and his spirits soaring, Xiao Zhan stood in the center of the hall, accepting compliments and congratulations from all sides, every word and gesture brimming with pride.
Xiao Yan had been pulled over by his father to stand beside him. Xiao Zhan enthusiastically introduced him to every guest. "Come, come, this is my son, Xiao Yan. Look, everyone-my son's talent has returned! I always said he was no creature destined to stay in a pond! Please look after him in the future!" Xiao Yan smiled politely, responding to everyone's gazes and greetings in turn, but inwardly, he felt a little helpless and irritated.
The feeling was exactly like being taken around by his parents to visit relatives during New Year in his previous life, displayed like a trophy to all sorts of people he barely knew. Although he understood his father's excitement and the satisfaction of finally holding his head high, his thoughts had long since left the noisy banquet. What he wanted more was to return to his room and seize every minute and second to cultivate, improve his strength as quickly as possible, and reclaim the time he had lost. These scenes of clinking cups and hollow pleasantries only made him feel that he was wasting his life.
Meanwhile, at the other end of all this noise and celebration, a very different scene unfolded in the secluded little courtyard being used to hold Xiao Yi under house arrest. With his arms folded across his chest, Xiao Yi leaned against the doorframe, utterly bored, and curled his lip as the faint sounds of revelry and aromas of food drifted over from afar.
"Hmph, all they know is eat, eat, eat! They're celebrating that good-for-nothing being able to cultivate again? What's so great about that? Didn't this grand master still beat him until he was scrabbling all over the ground for his teeth? It must be that Qi-stealing ghost's doing. He probably returned a little of the Dou Qi he sucked away... They've locked me up here and won't even give me a bite of hot food. Once this grand master gets out, I'll make sure..."
Xiao Yi muttered indignantly and kicked a pebble by his foot flying. After cursing for a while, he grew bored and recalled his own "exorcism" experience. Although that old ghost had later drugged him unconscious, he had still managed to beat him out of the ring. So Xiao Yi simply stopped paying attention to the commotion outside and detached a shovel from the Bicycle.
"Hmph~ This Taoist master... pfft, pfft, pfft! Anyway, just you all wait!"
Before you continue